A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a prototypical "family values" film. Its coming-of-age motifs were perfectly suited for 1945 audiences looking for reassurance that American ideals would survive the tumult of World War II and the challenge of Communism. Appropriately, it was directed by Elia Kazan, who would later "name names" of suspected Communists before the House Un-American Activities Committee. The performances are first-rate, particularly James Dunn, who won an Oscar as the family's alcoholic father, and Peggy Ann Garner, who won a special Oscar as "outstanding child actress." Dorothy McGuire provides a steady centerpiece, and the film is also a splendid recreation of New York circa 1900.